Forty-year-old Max Armstrong was camping with friends last month when he gave himself a small burn while removing a hot pan from the campfire.
He didn't think much of it, but within a month he was undergoing a double below-knee amputation.
“I just was transferring the skillet from the campfire to the table and burnt a portion of my thumb in the process,” he told People. "It was a little burn. I didn't think anything of it at the time."
Within two days he noticed a swelling in one of his ankles, but dismissed it as being caused by a minor twist getting out of his campervan.
But the burn didn't heal, and he developed other symptoms – feverishness and the color of his foot changed.
In hospital, the doctors confirmed his condition as sepsis, revealing that Strep A bacteria (passed from person to person) had got into the burn before he had cleaned and bandaged it.
The had little choice but to induce him into a life-saving coma while they treated him.
"Physicians were not hopeful that Max would make it, but after six days he pulled through and was disconnected from his ventilator," his GoFundMe page reveals.
Posted by gofundme on
Unfortunately for Max the tissue in his feet began to die. The condition, known as necrosis, then started to spread up his legs.
On December 23 last year he underwent surgery to remove both legs from below the knees, which was successful in halting the spread of necrosis.
Max is a seasoned hiker, having previously spent 151 days walking from Mexico to Canada. Although now he needs modifications to his home and car to go about his day-to-day business, it hasn't stopped him dreaming of his next adventure out on the trails.
“There's no question in my mind that I will be hiking in the mountains by this time next year,” he told People. "Until then, I dream most about just hiking around my house with my dogs – just going on a long walk.
How to treat a burn in the wild
Making campfires and cooking are hazardous activities that can result in serious burns.
Burns can look like red or peeling skin, blisters, swelling, white or charred skin.
If you're unlucky enough to get burnt by hot cooking equipment or flames, or scalded by boiling liquids, be sure to address the burn immediately.
Some serious burns cause damage to tissue and nerves, so take action even if you're not in pain.
- Move away from the heat source.
- Cool minor burns with clean cool or lukewarm running water for 20 minutes if possible.
- If you don't have access to streaming water, hopefully you have burn gel or dressings in your first aid kit.
- Cover the burn with cling film or a clean plastic bag to protect the area.
- If the burn is large or deep or has caused white or charred skin, seek medical attention straight away.
More safety advice from Advnture.com:
